LEADERSHIP“ My mum’ s living room became my office, and my boyfriend became my business partner,” Perkins told CNBC.“ We had pallets of paper and waste cartridges and these massive ink cartridges … it was a very humble beginning. We would be there at midnight, printing and binding yearbooks, and then driving them to the post office the next morning.” Within five years Fusion Books was the country’ s largest yearbook provider, operating in New Zealand and France as well. It was proof enough that the idea worked but Perkins, with Obrecht, realised that the need for simple, userfriendly design tools extended far beyond yearbooks. They envisioned a platform where anyone could create stunning graphics and designs with ease, and Canva was born. The scale Canva has since reached reflects just how large that vision was.
Today, more than 220 million people across 190 countries use the platform monthly. The company has been profitable since 2017, generates over US $ 2bn in annual revenue, and is valued at US $ 42bn – the most of any startup founded and led by a woman. The product reflects the same underlying premise that produced Fusion Books: templates, drag-anddrop simplicity, a browser-based tool that requires no training and no prior confidence. Growth has been largely product-led and democratic in its ethos – people make something, share it and bring others in.
Leadership and culture by design Perkins’ approach to leadership, culture and values has been as important to Canva’ s success as any design principle or tech focus. She is often cited for building a values-led environment at the business –
76 April 2026